ALBUQUERQUE — For the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau released a state-level child poverty measurement the week of Sept. 9 that shows anti-poverty policies enacted in New Mexico made an enormous difference for children over the period from 2021-2023. While New Mexico ranks last in the nation under the official poverty measure for child poverty, with a rate of 27.4%, when anti-poverty programs are taken into account under the supplemental poverty measure, the child poverty rate improves dramatically to just 8.9%, ranking the state 22nd in the nation.
While the official poverty measure counts only wage-based income, the supplemental poverty measure also counts anti-poverty programs such as refundable tax credits, non-cash benefits like SNAP, and the local cost of living.
While the Census Bureau has long measured the SPM for children at the national level, this is the first year the Bureau has determined the SPM for children at the state level. The national average SPM for children is 10.4%, whereas New Mexico’s SPM for children is better at 8.9%.
“This information is crucial for lawmakers as it shows how anti-poverty policies improve children's daily lives by providing essential resources that enhance well-being and lead to better long-term outcomes for families,” Gabrielle Uballez, Executive Director of NM Voices for Children, said. “It's equally exciting to note that this data doesn’t even count one of the state’s newest anti-poverty policies – the Child Tax Credit.”
In addition to the new SPM for children at the state level, the Census data sets also contain information on household income, poverty, and health insurance. The data reveals near-record lows in poverty and uninsured rates and rising incomes nationwide.
“While the SPM rate for children in New Mexico is great news – and it’s due to the good work of our elected leaders – we need to remain vigilant,” Uballez said. “This information is crucial for lawmakers as it shows how anti-poverty policies improve children's daily lives by providing essential resources that enhance well-being and lead to better long-term outcomes for families.”
One disappointment in the Census data was the change in the uninsured rate for New Mexico children under 19 years old. Likely because of changes in the Medicaid program after the pandemic, the rate of children without health insurance rose to 5.9% in 2023 from 3.8% in 2022. Although more children are now uninsured in New Mexico, the state is still keeping pace with the national rate of 5.4%. And the state is working to address the drop in insurance, recently announcing continuous eligibility for children until their sixth birthday.
With national poverty rates at near record lows, lawmakers have the opportunity to build on anti-poverty policies. Continuing to protect the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid funding will prevent more people from losing health coverage in New Mexico. Preventing cuts to SNAP benefits and expanding the federal Child Tax Credit could lift even more families out of poverty in the state and nationwide.
“We know that poverty is a policy choice,” Uballez said. “Fortunately, our state lawmakers continue to invest in state tax credits and income support programs that lift New Mexican families above the poverty line. We build upon our success by continuing to enact policies that work for our kids and families to improve access to benefits while also exploring new opportunities to build wealth, raise wages, and break generational cycles of poverty.”
